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In addition, up to half of the vegetation eaten by large herbivores is converted into organic material that is easily decomposed in the soil. Although some of it is released into the atmosphere as CO2, most of it ends up in stable underground accumulations.
According to the study’s findings, large herbivores regulate the movement of carbon in ecosystems, channelling much of it into underground reservoirs where it is safely locked away. This shows how valuable wildlife communities are and should prompt the protection of herbivore-rich ecosystems such as the African savannah.
